Re-Use it Missoula

Blog by Lisa Hensley

Lisa Hensley is a mostly-native Montanan, living in Missoula with her husband, two young boys, two cats (boys), one tiny dog (a girl!) and 4 fish (probably boys). She spent more than 10 years in the Marketing and creative field, but is now Director of Household Operations for the Hensley group.

When she’s not herding kids or doing laundry, she’s shooting photos, gardening, baking, reading or taking classes—sometimes all at once. She serves on the Board of Directors for Home ReSource, which fits in nicely with her tendency to repurpose pretty much anything.

By LISA HENSLEY - I do all the meal planning, shopping, and cooking for our family. Sometimes, trying to come up with ANOTHER meal is more than I’m up for. That’s when I get a rotisserie chicken.... more

By LISA HENSLEY - I was having some friends over for a housewarming party last week, and wanted decorate with luminaries. I almost rushed out to buy luminary bags before I remembered that I could make tin can l... more

By LISA HENSLEY. I’m somewhat addicted to HGTV, especially the “Crashers” shows (Yard Crashers, House Crashers, etc.). It could be because I’m secretly wishing someone would offer to come to my house an... more

By LISA HENSLEY. By this time of year, if you bag your grass cuttings, you’re probably starting to think fondly of those winter months when there’s no mowing to do. (Actually, you’re probably thinking tha... more

RE-USE IT. By LISA HENSLEY. I was working my first volunteer event for Home ReSource a couple of years ago when I stumbled across this fantastic light fixture. It’s really heavy, old glass, and by the time we... more

RE-USE IT. By LISA HENSLEY. My mom makes these great blankies for kids: knit on one side, flannel on the other. They just get softer and snugglier the more you wash them. They don’t, however, last forever—e... more

By LISA HENSLEY. As anyone who has had to buy retaining wall stones can tell you, the cost of those projects adds up very quickly. But there’s one way to get low walls, paths and patios for nothing but sweat ... more

By LISA HENSLEY. Although “reuse” for most people means turning something old into something new, or just using it more than once, I like to think it also applies to using things for purposes other than th... more

By LISA HENSLEY. While I am all for keeping selected samples of my son's artistic development, there’s only so much we can store. I feel bad though, just throwing these masterpieces away.
My solution: turn ... more

By LISA HENSLEY. While it feels like Spring will never show her face around these parts, it is still a great time to get going on one of the greatest re-use projects ever: compost. Why should you compost?... more

By LISA HENSLEY. You’ve probably accumulated assorted crayons that still have some life left, but aren’t necessarily in their prime. Why throw them away? You can repurpose them into new crayons that frankl... more

By LISA HENSLEY. When I was in the Marketing world, my mentor and I had a favorite phrase: "R & D, baby"­ short for "Ripoff and Duplicate!" We found something we liked and used it as a starting point for what... more